News
Apology for kosher store over disruption caused by filming
Customers stayed away as crew filmed in Golders Green, claims Kosher Kingdom management
February 9, 2017 11:14
Customers stayed away as crew filmed in Golders Green, claims Kosher Kingdom management
February 9, 2017 11:14Not everyone was happy when Hollywood stars Amy Adams and Rachel Weisz spent the day filming in Golders Green.
The owners of the Kosher Kingdom store had refused a request from the production team behind Disobedience to film in and around its shop. But the following day, staff arrived for work to find that the road outside had been transformed into a film set.
Parking bays were suspended for a stretch of the high street in the north-west London suburb, as the cameras rolled for the film adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s 2006 novel.
The book, which sparked controversy at the time of publication, tells of two women from the strictly Orthodox community involved in a repressed romance.
According to Kosher Kingdom’s management, producers submitted a request to film in and around the shop – but they declined to cooperate.
Filming outside the shop went ahead, and caused significant disruption for staff and customers, the management claimed.
“The filming of Disobedience that took place outside Kosher Kingdom was done without our consent. It was a nuisance on every front,” a spokesperson for the store said, adding that more than 20 parking bays in the area were blocked off.
“They requested consent to film at Kosher Kingdom, which we categorically declined. Moreover, we received written confirmation from the film location manager that the film would not contain any footage of the supermarket nor would there be any interference in trade whatsoever whilst filming was being carried out in the general area.
“At times they blocked the entrance and exit of our shop, because they were filming from the morning until about three or four in the afternoon. Customers stayed away – there is no question about that.”
The management has complained to both Barnet Council and the production company, Element Pictures.
The spokesman added: “We regret that there was any association of Kosher Kingdom with this film, and would like our customers to know that what transpired during the unauthorised filming, was totally out of our control, and we apologise for the distress and inconvenience this has caused.”
A spokesperson for Barnet Council said: “The locations company which manages filming requests on our behalf has apologised to the owner of Kosher Kingdom about the concerns raised and any inconvenience caused to his business and customers. We have also reminded the production company of the importance of filming being carried out sensitively and with the minimum of disruption.
“When requests are made to suspend parking bays we do our best to minimise any potential impact this may cause to local residents and businesses.”
